Fourth of July
by MariahajilE
Summary: A Fourth of July celebration. E/B, AH, HS, no angst.


**Title + inspiration + writing music: youtu . be / CV1 _ GkY48AY**

**Thanks be to MrsSpaceCowboy for pre-reading. **

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"How long do I have to keep my eyes closed?" Bella grumbled.

"Just until I open mine."

Bella knew he was joking, but she took the opportunity to open her eyes and peek, jokingly slapping Edward's arms.

"Close them!" he laughed, steering as best he could while trying to dodge Bella's hands.

Bella fell back onto her seat, closed her eyes, and huffed, failing miserably to fight her smile. Edward managed to catch it just before she turned toward the window, blocking his view.

It made his insides quiver.

"We're almost there," he assured her.

But Bella wasn't worried. When Edward had said he needed to show her something, she didn't hesitate to hand over the keys to her old-as-shit truck. She climbed in without asking where they were going or what he was up to.

Because that's how they were, how they had been their entire lives. They each followed one another with a blind faith that scared most people. It used to terrify their parents, it annoyed their teachers, and it angered quite a few of their classmates.

But Bella and Edward didn't care.

The best of friends for eleven years, the soon-to-be high school seniors were closer than ever, as sure as any two people could be about anything.

Their presence in each other's lives wasn't second nature - it was first. It was breathing, thinking, living.

Edward's right hand let go of the wheel and grabbed Bella's left as he continued to drive.

While they had held hands many times before, their recent affection had changed. Over the past several months, the atmosphere between them had shifted. It was so gradual that neither questioned it when they realized it. They hadn't talked about it, but they knew. They _knew_ what was happening, what everyone suspected had happened years before but really hadn't.

It was what Charlie was supposed to fear but didn't, because he trusted Edward with his daughter's life. It was what Angela, Bella's best girl friend, always believed would eventually happen. It was what Riley had come to terms with when he mistakenly demanded that Bella make a choice between him and Edward.

As she felt the road beneath them change from dirt to pavement, Bella's fingers tightened around Edward's. She was excitedly curious as to where he was taking her, what new adventure they were about to embark on. In the couple of seconds she had her eyes open, she knew it was as black as night could be outside the confines of her truck. Other than what the headlights allowed, Bella saw nothing other than Edward's face as he laughed.

"We're here," Edward said, the truck making its age known once he had parked and turned the engine off.

Bella heard him open his door and climb out. She heard nothing again until her door was opening. Still with her eyes closed, Edward grabbed both her hands and helped her out of the truck. They laughed a little as she lost her footing and nearly fell out, but he kept her hands in his as he pulled her up and out.

"Keep 'em closed," he whispered in her ear, thankful the headlights were bright enough to let him see the sudden pink on her cheeks. Her smile made his heart jump as much as the idea of his lips next to her ear made hers jump.

"Don't move."

Once he let her hands go, Edward quickly ran to the hood of the truck, feeling it to make sure it wasn't too hot. He then grabbed the blanket Bella always kept behind the seats and spread it out over the windshield and hood. He pulled Bella over to the front of the truck and placed his hands on her waist, Bella's hands automatically gripping his upper arms

"I'm gonna put you on the hood."

"Okay."

Bella braced herself for the lift, and after taking his time to look at her face, Edward finally did. Once she had her feet securely on the front bumper, she slid back. Not wanting to reveal his surprise too early, Edward quickly ran back to the driver's side door, reached in, and turned off the headlights, leaving them in absolute darkness.

He waited until his eyes adjusted before feeling his way back to the front and lifting himself onto the hood next to Bella. Before he could make himself comfortable, Bella giggled and immediately grabbed at and clutched his shirt.

"I keep slipping," she laughed.

"Then stop squirming," he laughed back.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her into his body.

"Can I open my eyes _now_?" she begged.

"Open 'em."

Bella opened her eyes to the same darkness she encountered when they were closed. When her eyes adjusted, she could only see the beautiful stars in the sky. There were no streetlights, and the moon was hidden by a cluster of clouds. The leaves of the surrounding trees rustled as the warm breeze added to the growing atmosphere.

"Where are we?" Bella whispered, unwilling to make more noise than necessary in that moment.

"At the old airport."

Bella raised her head from its resting place on his shoulder.

"Behind the river?"

Just then, Edward's cell went off. He checked the text from Rosalie and quickly placed it back in his pocket.

"Here we go-"

Before he could finish, the loud boom of the fireworks went off, scaring Bella and causing her to scream.

"Oh, shit," she laughed.

Her laughter turned to awe as she looked up at the hundreds of sparkling colors and streaks filling the sky. Over and over, blues and greens and reds and whites lit up the darkness. Bella's eyes were big as she took it all in. Edward's eyes never left her face, watching her face brighten with every explosion, her smile wide and her eyes full of wonder.

It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

As the Forks' Fourth of July fireworks display continued from the other side of the river, Bella settled herself back down into Edward's side. She grabbed his free hand and intertwined their fingers together, leaving their joined hands on his stomach.

Edward's hand on Bella's shoulder absentmindedly began to trail up and down her arm. His fingertips swept over her skin, causing it to break out into goosebumps.

Knowing that there was nothing in the world that could break what she had with Edward, Bella did what seemed natural.

She twisted her body a little toward his, raised her head, and placed her lips on his. Edward kissed her back, savoring Bella's taste and the feel of her lips.

Not able to get enough, Bella angled her head and ran the tip of her tongue over his bottom lip. Without breaking the kiss, Edward began to sit up. He opened his mouth as he did, letting himself kiss Bella how he _really_ wanted to. It caused Bella to moan into his mouth, the sensation of his tongue against hers making her feel and want and ache.

She quickly threw her right leg over Edward's waist, straddling him. Now sitting upright, Edward took Bella's face between his hands and held on, refusing to let her go.

And they kissed and kissed and kissed, until the only fireworks left were the ones between Edward and Bella. Realizing they were immersed in darkness once again, they each pulled back. They stared at one another, their breathy pants between them.

Bella lightly ran her fingertips over his left cheek and along his jaw, causing Edward's eyes to close. She leaned in and kissed his lips, his nose, his lips, his jaw, his lips. Edward's fingers combed their way through Bella's long hair. It allowed him to touch her neck, her back, her waist, and he couldn't stop.

He opened his eyes to Bella's face just inches from his.

"Happy fourth of July, Toil," he whispered, leaning closer.

"Happy fourth, Trouble," she smiled, closing the gap.


End file.
